Many types of inflation toys and inflators for use in combination therewith have been created through the years. Often a balloon or similar elastic object is inflated by a simplified inflation mechanism such as an expandable bellows or the like. Great excitement is provided by such toys as children pump up or otherwise inflate an expanding balloon or similar object and watch it grow. In some toys, an associated game is played in combination with the inflation process. In others, the excitement may culminate in the inflation of the resilient object to a point where it bursts adding increased drama to the game or toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,338 issued to Wolf sets forth a CHILD'S TOY AND GAME in which a housing depicts a landscape portion having a large upwardly facing simulated flower having a flared bell-shaped portion defined therein. A collapsible air bellows to a nozzle supported within the bell-shaped portion of the flower. Appropriate check valves are provided to facilitate the creation of a stream of pressurized air outwardly through the nozzle as the bellows are successively depressed and released. An inflatable balloon having a nozzle portion supporting a resilient plug therein which in turn defines a center passage for communication to the balloon interior is resiliently coupled to the flower nozzle. Thereafter, as the bellows is successively depressed and released, pressurized air is forced into the balloon causing it to inflate. As the balloon is inflated and expands, its outer surface is forced against the bell-shaped portion of the simulated flower producing a drawing force upon the resiliently supported balloon nozzle. At some point, this force exceeds the resilient retaining force upon the balloon and the balloon is ejected from the flower and is thereafter propelled by the air being expelled through the balloon nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,713 issued to Crosbie sets forth a PERCOLATING BUBBLE GENERATOR in which a stream of air is utilized to form a succession of bubbles and launch them into the air. A pistol grip type housing includes a pivotally movable hand grip lever and an internally supported collapsible air bellows. The movable lever is coupled to and operates the collapsible bellows as the pivotal lever is gripped and released. A nozzle at the output of the collapsible bellows provides an airstream which is directed toward a bubble producing liquid supported downstream within the pistol grip shaped housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,302 issued to Henderson sets forth a MANUALLY ACTUATABLE AERATING DEVICE FOR DOLL'S SPA in which a small water reservoir replicates a miniaturized spa and supports a quantity of water. A multiapertured aerating tube is supported at the lower surface of the water reservoir and is coupled to an expandable air bellows. The coupling between the aerating pipe and the expandable air bellows includes an expandable bladder and one way valve. The expandable bladder provides a smoothing effect between the air pressure surges produced by the repeated compression and release of the air bellows and thereby produces a more gradual steady stream of aerating bubbles within the simulated spa.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,319 issued to Shen sets forth a BUBBLE BLOWER which includes a tube having an input end for air and an output end. A first nozzle is connected to the output end while a second concentric nozzle is mounted surrounding the first nozzle. A squeezable reservoir is coupled to the nozzles and is operative when squeezed to fill the space between the nozzle with a bubble producing liquid. Thereafter, bubbles are produced by blowing air through the open end of the tube.
U.S. Patent Des. 198,857 issued to Rabin sets forth a BUBBLE BLOWING TOY having a collapsible reservoir for bubble material together with an upwardly extending discharge tube. The latter terminates in a bubble blowing ring. A fanciful toy figure is supported upon the discharge tube which terminates in an upwardly extending nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,776,530 issued to Baumgardner sets forth a FIGURE WITH BALLOON INFLATING MEANS in which a housing supports a reservoir of pressurized gas within its interior. The housing is formed in a fanciful clown's face and includes an outwardly extending nozzle tip near the mouth portion thereof. A tube is coupled between the nozzle and the source of pressurized gas. The nozzle is adapted to receive the inflation nozzle of a balloon or the like. The source of pressurized gas includes an air pump having an actuated rod extending upwardly therefrom which in turn supports a generally spherical knob.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,791 issued to Cohen sets forth a TOY in which a housing defines an interior cavity having an outwardly extending nozzle passage at one end thereof. The nozzle passage terminates within an extending nozzle which receives an inflatable member such as a balloon or the like. A collapsible bladder is supported within the interior cavity and accommodates a pair of check valves at each end thereof. A movable plunger is supported by the housing and extends into the interior cavity resting against the collapsible bladder. In the anticipated play pattern, the plunger is caused to be forced against the bladder by forcing the plunger into the housing cavity and collapsing the bladder. The collapsing of the bladder results in a pressurized airflow into the inflatable member.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided some level of amusement and play value through their use of inflatable toys and inflation devices, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore creative and interesting inflation type toys.